Stop-motion for knitting-machines.



W. 0. TAYLOR.

STOP MOTION FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1917.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

WILL 0. TAYLOR,

0F LIMERICK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILDMAN MFG. 00.,

OF NOSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STOP-MOTION FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1218.

Application filed January 18, 1917. Serial No. 142,216.

known to knitters, being arranged at a fixed point or points about the machine.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the frame-work of the stop motion head, parts being in section including a por-' tion of the letofli' connection.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing apart of the frame ring illustrating the manner of mounting a drlving shaft forming one part of the letofi' connection.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the stop motion unit, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of said stop motion umt.

In these drawings 5 indicates a frame r1ng, which is suitably mounted above the knitting machine head and preferably supported by brackets rising from the head base of the machine. This ring affords a support for the stop motion unit or units, one of these units being employed for each yarn feed. Each stop motion unit comprises a bracket 8 adapted to be secured by screws passing through the base of .the bracket into the supporting frame or ring. In this bracket is pivotally mounted a member or arm 10, the pivot being near the lower end thereof and said member has a shoulder at 11 at its inner side and an outwardlyextending lower portion 12. The member is adapted to swing in a direction radial to the axis of the stop motion head but normally it is restrained against said outward or radial movement by the draft of the yarn passing through the portion 13 of a feeler lever 14, whlch is pivotally mounted at 15, at the upper end of the stop motion member 10. The feeler lever has an arm 16 slidably and turnto the pivotal point of the feeler lever. This feeler lever, therefore, has a long arm on one side of its pivot 15 carrying the thread engaging portion and a much shorter arm engaging the fixed fulcrum, so that draft of tender yarn on the long arm of the feeler lever will, through the leverage exerted, serve to retain the member 10 against outward movement. This member 10 is under stress tending constantly to make it move outwardly from the normal position shown and this stress may be exerted by a spring or equivalent means.

In the particular form illustrated the spring is shown at 17 seated in a pocket in the frame and it presses on a collar 18 of a rod 19, also guided in the frame or in the bracket of the stop motion unit, the upper end of said rod bearing on the shoulder 11 and tending constantly to tip the member 10 outwardly. The tension of the spring may be varied by a screw 20 bearing thereon, said screw being coaxially arranged with the rod and with the spring and being seated in the frame. The spring of course may be seated on the upper end of this screw or it may be pocketed in the screw.

The stop motion unit, as above stated, is arranged at one fixed point and a ring 21 rotates adjacent the outwardly extending portion of the member 10, said ring being toothed on its under edge and engaged by a gear 22 on a shaft 23 driven by a pulley 24, the shaft being mounted at its inner end in a slideway or elongated slot 25 formed in the frame and at its outer end the shaft is journaled in a swiveled bearing 26, the pivot 27 of which turns in a suitable bearing in the frame. The lever or arm 28 is arranged to be borne upon by the shaft when this is swung laterally and these parts are under spring tension which may be applied in various ways. I illustrate, however, a spring at 29 to press the lever or letofi connection member 28 against the side of the shaft to hold the shaft at the right-hand end of its bearing slot 25, Fig. 2. The ring 21 carries therefrom.

It will now be seen that when the draft of the yarn fails for any cause the restraining influence exerted through the feeler lever ceases and the member 10,.is then free to be moved outwardly under the stress applied thereto, whether this be by means of the spring illustrated herein or by other means and on the outward movement of the member 10 its extension 12 will fall into the path of one of the projections 30 on the normally rotating ring 21 and this ring will be arrested and the gear continuing its rotation will roll backwardly-on the said toothed ring and will move from its right-handposition toward its left-hand position the swiveled bearing allowing this action and in this movement the shaft will press the arm or lever 28, the parts moving against the tension of the spring 29 and the movement of tllfialei l 2,8--will effect the stoppin of the machine, any' suitable form of leto mechanism being employed to control the clutch.

In a multiple feed machine it will be understood that there is a member 10 for each feed and upon the outward movement of any one of these members the rotary ring 21 will be arrested and the above mentioned action for stopping the machine will take place.

In order to restore the member 10 to its normal position or in the case of a multiple feed machine in order to restore any one of the members 10 to upright position which may have been operated and to hold in upright position any of the members 10.which may not have been operated I provide a restoring member consisting of a ring 31 extending adjacent the outwardly extending portions of the members 10 and beneath the same. This ring is adapted to be turned circumferentially by the hand of the operator and for this purpose a handle is provided at 32. The ring when turned is elevated and this may be accomplished in vari ous ways. In the particular form shown the ring is provided with cam surfaces 33 on its underside engaged by fixed pins or bearings 34 seated in the main frame, so that when the ring is turned the inclines riding on the tops of the pins 34 willcause an upward movement of the ring and in this upward movement the upper edge of the ring will bear against the under edge of the outwardly extending portions of the said members 10, causing them to be swung upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the machine to normal position where theirfeeler levers may be threaded.

The ring 31 may be returned to normal position by any suitable spring arrangement.

The rod 19 is operated from a needle protector and this may be of any suitable form, such for instance as the general form shown in patent to Wildman and Ballard, No.

1,144,273 of June 22nd, 1915. When the needle protector is operated this rod 19 will be lifted and will operate the member in opposition to the restraining influence of the feeler lever 13 which still may be under the draft of the' yarn. It will, therefore, be untector is operated the rod 19 will be thrust upwardly and notwithstanding the fact that the draft of the yarn still may be active on the feeler lever, the member 10 will be positively operated.

What I claim is 1. In combination in a stop motion for knitting machines, a member pivotally mounted at a fixed point, a spring for applying stress to said member tending to move it from normal position, a feeler lever connected with said pivoted member and under the said stress and a letofi' connection operated by the said member when it moves from normal position consequent upon the failure of the draft of the yarn upon said feeler lever, said feeler lever being pivotally mounted on the upper end of said pivoted member and a fixed fulcrum for the lever, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a. stop motion for knitting machines, a member pivotally mounted at its lower end to swing radially outward in respect to the axis of the machine, a spring pressed rod applying tension to said member to force the same outwardly, a frame in which said rod is guided vertically and in which the spring is seated, a feeler lever connected with the upper portion of the said member and having a yarn engaging portion, a fixed fulcrum for the said feeler lever and stop motion connections operated by the said member when'the draft on the feeler lever fails and the member moves outwardly under the stress of the spring, and adjusting means for the spring consisting of a screw disposed vertically and co-axially, with the rod and seated in the frame, substantially as described.

3. In combination in a stop motion for knitting machines, a member movably mounted and controlled by the draft of the yard to hold it in normal position, a toothed ring arranged adjacent said member and having a projection Or projections to be engaged thereby, when the member moves from normal position, a gear engaging the said toothed ring to rotate the same, a shaft carrying said gear at its inner end and pivotally mounted at its outer end to allow said shaft with the gear to have movement about said pivot, means for rotating the shaft and a member forming part of the letofi' connection operated by the swinging movement of the shaft when the toothed ring is arrested and the gear rolls on said toothed ring, substantially as described. I

4. In combination in a stop motion for knitting machines a member movably mounted and controlled by the draft of the yarn to hold it in normal position, a toothed ring arranged adjacent said member and having a projection or projections to be engaged thereby, when the member moves from normal position, a gear engaging the said toothed ring to rotate the same, a shaft carrying said gear at its inner end and pivotally mounted at its outer end to allow said shaft with the gear to have movement about said pivot, means for rotating the shaft and a member forming part of the letoff connection operated by the swinging movement of the shaft when the toothed ring is arrested and the gear rolls on said toothed ring, said shaft having at its inner end an elongated bearing in which it may slide and turn, substantially as described.

5. In combination in a knitting machine, a member movably mounted and arranged to control letoif connections, a feeler lever pivotally mounted on said member and under the draft of the yarn tending to hold said member innormal position, a fixed fulcrum for said feeler and a needle protector connection extending to said member and normally under tension, said connection including a spring pressed rod serving to move said member when the draft of the yarn on the feeler lever fails, said rod being operated by the needle protector and moving the said member in opposition to the restraining influence of said feeler lever, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a stop motion for knitting machines of the type having a rotating needle cylinder and a fixed yarn feed, a member pivoted at its lower end, a feeler lever pivotally mounted thereon at its upper end and turning in a horizontal plane, a vertically disposed fixed fulcrum about which said feeler lever turns, said pivoted member having a shoulder extending inwardly toward the axis of the machine and having a lower portion extending outwardly from its pivot, a vertically disposed member under spring tension bearing upon said shoulder and a letofl connection to be operated by the outwardly extending portion of said member when the same turns outwardly on its pivot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM O. TAYLOR. 

